Cognizant has clarified that its Rs 2.5 lakh per annum offer—that invited heavy criticism on social media—was not made to engineering graduates, but to non-engineering undergraduates. The multinational has further clarified that it offers fresh engineering graduates a salary in the range of Rs 4 lakh to Rs 12 lakh per annum.
The company reportedly gives increments as low as one per cent. These revelations had led to Cognizant being made fun of on social media. However, the firm has issued a clarification that the one per cent hike was given to employees in the lower band (range of one to five per cent) of the annual increments, which are granted on the basis of individual performance.
Every year, Cognizant hires fresh engineering and non-engineering/IT graduates to fill various vacancies. Hiring for both take place simultaneously and the salary packages were shared on social media, leading to the misunderstanding that even the freshers from engineering colleges are offered such a low annual package.
The Rs 2.5 lakh per annum offer was made to those non-engineering candidates who came with a three-year undergraduate degree. These undergraduates are usually hired for administrative roles and the company spends a significant amount on their training and upskilling after which they are given different posts.
Cognizant has stated that it offers a package of Rs 4 lakhs to Rs 12 lakhs based on the certifications and skills of the fresh engineering graduates.
The company reportedly spends at least Rs 2 lakh per annum on training, mentoring and upskilling all entry-level employees for the first couple of years after joining.
